LBCC braces for millions in budget cuts

LONG BEACH — Long Beach City College is bracing for major budget cuts following an unanticipated loss of $3.5 million in mid-year state funding cuts, officials said Thursday.

College officials said LBCC must cut an additional $5 million from its $150 million general fund to balance the budget for the 2012-2013 fiscal year. The college will have to slash its budget by a total of $9.8 million if voters fail to pass a November tax initiative designed to help fund education.

"Long Beach City College is facing devastating budget cuts that have been imposed on all of California's community colleges by the state," LBCC President Eloy Ortiz Oakley said in a statement.

"Unfortunately, the news going forward is worse, with millions more being cut, increased student demand, and no new revenues or support projected for several years."

Oakley said LBCC will have to make difficult budget decisions in coming months. More announcements on specific cuts will be coming over the next several weeks.

So far, the college has frozen several open positions, including the dean of career education and workforce development and two contract faculty positions.

However, LBCC is still planning to hire new faculty in the English, speech, math and culinary arts departments. Oakley said these hires are essential for supporting student success and enrollment targets.

Oakley said students likely won't see any fee hikes or major reductions in courses, but the college is considering layoffs and cuts to programs and student services. Among the possibilities, the college is considering cutbacks in library and administrative office hours, reductions in programs including athletic programs, and the consolidation of certain services between its two campuses.

Lynn Shaw, president of the Long Beach City College Community College Association, the college's faculty union, said the group will contest any plans to lay off faculty and cut courses. The college has long been top-heavy with administrators, while at the same cutting courses and student services, she said, adding that the union is working on its own budget proposal to submit to the college.

"We believe it's in the best interest of the community and our students to have teachers and classes and librarians and counselors," she said. "They are the essential soul of the college."

The latest round of state funding cuts comes on top of a $7.2 million revenue reduction over the past three years. Overall, the college has seen a 7.4 percent reduction in state funding.

The state has seen a whirlwind of cuts to public education that has forced schools and colleges to reduce their budgets.

Last month, the Long Beach Unified School District announced the layoffs of more than 300 employees as part of an effort to save $20 million. The district has slashed more than $300 million from its budget since 2008.

Cal State Long Beach is also looking at significant changes this year. The 23-campus Cal State University System was hit with one of the harshest cuts last year with a loss of $750 million in state funding.